Queen of Stein : Louis Howard
by AliaMagician
Summary: [Louis X Reader] Nobody turns down a dance invitation from the queen, but the duke was the first one who ever did. And from that day, (Y/N), the Queen of Stein, vowed to make Duke Louis Howard of Wysteria fall for her deep and hard. Based on the scenario by incorrectmidc on tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

"Did you see that, Byron?" The heels of Her Majesty's boots clanked as she stepped on the platform. She boarded her carriage swiftly and her royal advisor, and childhood friend, Byron Wagner went in after her.

"How dare he?!" He heard her say again, placing her elbows on the windowsill and cupped her chin with her hand. "No one's ever refused me a dance! No, I ASKED him, and he refused me! I've never been so humiliated in my life!"

Bryon stared at her and chuckled gently. "Don't be so upset, (Y/N). I've heard he always does that, so it's not a rare occurrence. Duke Howard is simply uninterested in women."

(Y/N)'s irritation was painted on every inch of her face. She hadn't really intended to ask Louis Howard for a dance, yet seeing he has turned every lady down at the ball that evening, she thought it would be a nice challenge to overcome. And yet the results of her actions rendered her speechless when Louis shot an icy glare before turning his back on her.

"I am the Queen of Stein." She whispered to herself. "Nobody tramples on my pride and gets away with it."

And from that day, (Y/N), the Queen of Stein, vowed to make Duke Louis Howard of Wysteria _fall for her deep and hard._

* * *

"Please don't forget that the Princess Elect of Wysteria will be coming over later." Byron reminded.

(Y/N) nodded as she slipped on her vest. "I'll be back before that. It would rather be a nice to experience this ocular visit first hand. I have never been into town for a while."

"Are you sure about this?" He closed his journal and set it on the table.

"It'll be like taking a walk in the garden, Byron." She replied, gathering her hair to one side before tying it. "I'm taking Albert with me. I trust that you'll finish all the paperwork in time as well."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

There was a knock on the door and Albert poked his head before fully coming in. "The carriage is ready, my queen."

"We won't be needing the carriage, Al." (Y/N) smiled. "Get me my horse."

"C-certainly, my queen." Albert bowed.

(Y/N) and Albert were almost past the castle gates. He took a glance at her and realized she was smiling brightly. "Someone looks happy."

"I'm excited." The queen admitted. "I don't always get to see the capital up close like I used to. Thank you for coming with me, Al."

"It's only my duty, Your Majesty."

"Please Al." She faced him. "It's just us, you don't have to be too formal."

Their horses made their way into the city. Albert brought them to the public stables for safekeeping. The queen's task today was just to check the city out. Ocular visits are helpful in getting real time information and so the queen decided that she would do it once in a while personally, even though she has men working for her. "It is my responsibility, after all." She told them, and so she was given a slot once a week to oversee the capital.

They went to the market, the plaza, and some government offices. Her visit went like a breeze and she asked Albert to come with him to the fountain near the plaza.

"It's almost time for us to head back, (Y/N)."

She stood in front of the fountain and opened her arms wide. She looked up, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply.

"Excuse me, big sister."

(Y/N) looked at her side to see a young boy tugging on sleeve. She then smiled, "What is it little boy?"

"Will you help me make a wish?" he asked shyly. "My arms won't reach."

She kneeled down to him and the gesture made Albert wince. "Your Maj—"

"Alright." She softly said. "Come here."

The boy ran into her arms and she lifted him up. She looked at Albert with a bright face. "Why don't you make a wish as well, Al." With the boy in her arms, (Y/N) walked closer to the edge of the fountain. "Close your eyes first, make a wish, then throw your coin." The boy did as he was told and he thanked her when he was done. He waved with a smile as went away.

"You know, Al." The queen said. "My only wish is to see the people of Stein with smiles on their faces."

The Royal Wysterian carriage was full of people. Giles and Leo were seated together, and across them, the Princess Elect of Wysteria sat beside Duke Howard. The latter was particularly, evidently, wearing a horrid expression. Had the Archduke been well, he wouldn't have to go through this ordeal. As it was a diplomatic affair, he could not refuse this meeting in Stein.

Gazing out the window, he saw several figures of people circling around the fountain near the plaza, but one thing caught his eye intently. There was a figure of a woman, gently lifting a child with smiles plastered on both of their faces. He found himself smiling a little as well.

"Please wait here." Albert said before going back to the public stables to fetch their horses. (Y/N) sat on a bench. _It really is getting late._ She thought to herself. _Byron will be furious. But I know he'll handle things well._ She stared across the street and saw the lamps flicker against the dusk. The streets were a bit crowded as the stalls were preparing to close for the day.

"Big sister!"

As if a reflex, she lifted her head and saw the same young boy from the fountain. He waved at her and she did as well. The boy lifted his other hand and saw that he had flowers with him. He looked right and left before moving across towards her. As the boy was in the middle of the street, a bright carriage suddenly appeared near the curve, coming at him with great speed.

"Aghh!" The driver tried to pull on the reigns as hard as he can.

"Watch out!" (Y/N) cried as she dashed to save the child. Without a minute to spare, she flew over him and caught him in a tight, protective hug. The horses neighed in surprised and they seemed crazed. One of the horses slightly hit her aside and both of them were thrown across the street.

"What happened!?" Giles came out from the carriage. "Stay inside, princess."

"There was a boy crossing the street and—"

"Big sister!" The driver's explanation was cut off by the young boy's cries. He crawled out from under (Y/N's) embrace." She clearly had taken a hit.

Leo and Louis went down as well and they both frowned at what they've seen. Leo rushed over to the boy's side. "Are you okay, kid?"

"But she…" The boy was starting to cry.

A groan of pain came from the queen. "Ahh…"

"Hey, can you stand?" Leo tried to grab her shoulder but she slapped his hand away. She lifted her frowning face to meet his eyes. He blinked his eyes in surprise. "Oh boy, Giles. We're in big trouble."

"(Y/N)!" Albert was seen panting atop his horse. He immediately dismounted after seeing her predicament. "What happened, are you okay?"

The queen ignored his questions but she clutched onto his shoulders for support and reached out for the boy. "The flowers are pretty, Thank you."She wiped the boy's tears away. "Now smile. Big sister is okay."

"Well, now I'm not sure how this meeting is gonna go." Giles' expression darkened. "I never imagined we could put the Queen of Stein in such a ridiculously dangerous situation."

Louis sighed, his expression apathetic, but his eyes had been fixed on the queen for quite a while.

After the boy left, Albert scowled, "How dare you do this to the Queen of Stein?! I knew Wysterians could never be trusted!"

Leo as about to say something but (Y/N) cut him off. "Al, let's go. We'll settle this at castle Stein."

"Your Majesty, please let us at least take you inside the carriage." Giles offered.

"Al, my horse, please." (Y/N) tried to walk alone but she almost tripped.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Albert looked at her with a seriousness she's never seen from him before. "As much as I don't want any of them near you, I won't let you ride horseback in your current condition. Byron would think so as well, so please get in the carriage for now."

Leo bowed before taking (Y/N) by the hand, gently escorting her inside. "I hope you don't mind me borrowing your horse."

The queen remained silent as she slid into the carriage, sitting beside the princess. The Wysterian royal looked shocked and offered her handkerchief to her.

"I'm very sorry about this, Queen (Y/N)". The princess sounded worried. "I would personally tend to your wounds when we get to your castle."

"It was an accident, Princess (P/N)." The queen replied. "I'm sure nobody wanted for it to happen."

Giles smiled a little. "Indeed, and I find it chivalrous – what you did back there – saving that child even if it almost cost you your life. You truly are a queen."

(Y/N) said nothing. She took out the flowers the boy gave her from her breast pocket. Louis, who was sitting across her, silently gazed at her as she fiddled with the gift with a weak smile on her face.

Back in her chambers, the queen of Stein changed into a fresh batch of clothes. She winced in pain as she raised her hand. She could feel her body ache all over and had visible bruises on the side of her face. The princess had mostly put disinfectant on it already and she could still feel the stings. The doctor had given her painkillers, but it was certainly taking time to kick in. She was told that her injuries were nothing to be worried of, thankfully.

"Queen (Y/N)?" the princess knocked on her bathroom.

She came out dressed in a black military coat over her usual clothing. The seal of Stein gleamed on the left side of her chest. The princess stood there, astounded at the queen's stance. _She looks so strong, so regal._

"Uhm-, is it okay for you to wear something as heavy as that?" (P/N) asked, hoping not to sound offensive. "Your bruises would heal faster if you dress lightly, Queen (Y/N)."

"Thank you for the concern, Princess (P/N)." (Y/N) smiled. "I'm fine. Dinner will be served shortly. That will also be the commencement of our diplomatic meeting."

The dining hall was lively as Wysteria and Stein shared a meal. Ever since the neighboring kingdom crowned their Princess Elect, it has been easy to negotiate with them. Some businessmen have also taken an interest to expand in Wysteria, which would certainly benefit both nations.

"Where's Nico?" (Y/N) asked, noticing that her young knight's seat was empty.

"I had him inspect some towns nearby." Byron answered. "He will be back in a couple of days. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, Byron." She replied with a smile. "I'm happy I went, so I hope you and Albert don't go worrying about it."

As the festivities continued, the delegations of the two countries continued to roar in the silence of the night. Most were exchanges of political thoughts, economic development plans, and military training.

"I see," the princess nodded at Byron's words. "Perhaps that is a good start. Giles, let's tell Alyn these plans when we get back."

"Of course." Giles nodded.

"By the way, Princess." Byron added. "Stein is also interested in your choices for Prince Consort. Have you decided on that?" The princess looked at him for a moment and dipped her head low when she felt her cheeks grow hot.

"My, Sir Byron, how bold." Giles flashed a smile. "But the Her Highness' is – "

"Giles!" (P/N) hissed.

Byron smiled and folded his arms over his chest. "I see. We'll be looking forward to the official announcement."

"What about Stein?" Leo suddenly appeared. "Isn't the queen lonely without a king by her side?"

"Ah…" Byron weakly sighed. "Her Majesty is – "

No one really noticed (Y/N) waltz out of the dinner party. Her temples were terribly aching and the noise only made it worse. She didn't bother to tell her royal adviser or her knight as they already had plenty of things to deal with. A simple headache is only a trivial matter, even if it was a queen's. She wasn't sure if it was because of what happened earlier or that she was starting to get sick. _I just need to get a little air. Hmm… the garden would be nice._

And she did make her way to the garden. There, she saw a lone shadow in the dark. _Could it be an intruder?_ Driven by her sense of security, she stealthily came closer, a hand clutching the handle of her sword.

"Oh…" She murmured after realizing it was the blonde duke. Seeing him again made her remember what he did to her at the Princess Elect's coronation. _I vowed to make you fall for me, huh?_ (Y/N) frowned at the thought. She dropped her hand from her sword and walked over to him.

"I assume you've had enough of the ramblings inside, Your Grace?"

Louis turned around and was a bit surprised to see the Queen of Stein, yet he regained his stiff expression quickly. "Hmm… I've finished what I needed to discuss."

He looked at her as she walked past him to sit on the marble bench. He kept thinking of the accident earlier. "Are you feeling better, Your Majesty?"

She nodded, gazing back at him. She was lost in his sapphire eyes for a moment. He didn't have that ice sculpture expression he shot at her back then. His eyes were warm with concern. She was rather displeased.

"Do you mind if I sit beside?"

"For someone who turned me down asking to sit beside me, Hah."(Y/N) managed to say firmly. _You haven't showed any interest in getting close to me before. "_ Are you being soft with me because of my injuries?"

Louis let out a sigh that was half a chuckle. "I know better than to go soft with you, Your Majesty. As far as I'm aware, you can actually kill me with your eyes closed."

"You make it sound like I'm a beast." She tapped the empty space on the bench, gesturing for the duke to sit down.

They both sat there in silence, the gentle gush of wind ruffling through their hair. The queen's headache seemed to have slowly retreated, yet she could still feel a pang of pain across her temples. She quietly placed her hand on the side of her head.

Louis seemed to notice her gesture and said, "Might I share a trick, Your Majesty?"

"That depends on what you have up your sleeve, Duke Howard." She saw a smile on his face for a second.

Taking that as an affirmation, Louis lifted his hands to either side of her head, his fingers digging through her hair. "This is just one way to nurse an aching head." His thumb applied an amount of pressure and gently went in circles along her temple and she felt a shiver run through her body.

She flinched.

"Oh." Louis stopped. "I'm sorry, did that hurt?"

"Ah, no." The queen felt her cheeks go hot.

The duke pushed himself closer and she was inches away from his chest. "I must say," He began. "What Her Majesty did earlier was really commendable."

"Anyone would do that." (Y/N) breathed in. "It's nothing extraordinary."

"Not any noble would. The way I see it, aristocrats have this heightened level of self-importance. Saving someone at the probable expense of their lives isn't something they can do."

"Wouldn't you have done the same thing?"

"Who knows?" Louis' hands fell down and she looked up at him. "But, you've earned a great deal of my respect, Queen (Y/N). Not that it would make any difference to you, I just wanted you to know."

She internally gasped at his words. _What? What? Did I just get through to Duke Howard?_ She had wanted to make him fall in love with her out of spite, but something inside her stirred up a feeling she wasn't all too familiar with. She looked at him again and could see that he was getting up to go.

"I believe it's better for you to rest at this time." Louis suggested.

The queen thought for a while and said, "That's okay. I'm staying for a while, Duke Howard."

"Louis, Your Majesty." He flashed a fleeting smile before turning his back on her. The Queen of Stein sat there, her hand over her chest, watching the duke disappear into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the second day of the diplomatic meeting and (Y/N) was already up before the sun rose. At times like these, she'd sit up on her bed and wonder why she woke up so early, then no matter how hard she tried, she'd have trouble going back to sleep. Her hands reached for the side of her head, remembering how Duke Howard had eased her aches for a moment.

"Louis, huh?" She sighed. Before the Princess Elect's coronation, she had already met him a few times. He never really struck her as anything – although she would agree that he was a beautiful man. Apart from that, he had managed his duchy well, but he didn't come across as an affectionate leader. He was distant, cold, and unsympathetic. She didn't really think it was the best way to serve. _I'll make you fall for me, huh?_ She thought about it and now it sounded ridiculous.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she turned to see Byron entering with a cup in his hand. "I figured you'd be awake."

"Ughh." The queen groaned, letting herself collapse on her bed. "I don't want tea."

"It's ginger ale."

She lazily lifted herself up again. He went over to her bedside and gave her the cup. (Y/N) wrapped her hands around it, feeling the warmth against her palms. "Thanks. But, why are you up so early?"

"I have to prepare for the meeting." Byron confessed. "I'll be escorting the Wysterian entourage around town later. You don't have to worry about it, you just rest."

She frowned. He chuckled a little at her expression while patting his hand on her head. "I know how much you want to fulfill your duties, Your Majesty. But it's also your responsibility to look after yourself. Stein needs you to always be well. Please consider your well-being a part of your priorities too."

The queen blew raspberries at her advisor's seriousness. "I get it, I get it," She looked at him maliciously. "You want to spend time with Princess (P/N). Geez, Byron, you can just tell me directly."

"Wh-What are you saying?" Byron suddenly looked away.

After finishing her drink, Byron took the cup from her hands and stood up. "Well, you still have time to snooze."

"I don't think I can sleep."

He went forward and opened the door. "Just try, (Y/N)".

Louis was walking aimlessly along the corridors of castle Stein. He slept in later than expected, and when he got off his bed, he found a note slipped in from under his door. It was from Leo.

"…" He read it once and threw it aside, the paper perfectly landing on the dresser. _Hey Louis, I've been knocking on your door, but you don't seem to be getting up soon. We're going into town in a few minutes, so I'm being considerate with the fact that you won't have enough time to prepare. We can't have the Queen waiting for us, you know? Sweet dreams!_

"There was no knock on the door." He found himself rolling his eyes. It's true he wasn't a morning person, but when duties take priority, he'd be able to put them on top. He scowled at Leo in his mind, but he thought that he should've just woken up early instead of relying on a wake-up call. He continued on his meaningless stroll, and as he looked ahead, he saw the queen of Stein heading towards his direction. She had a serious look on her face that she didn't notice him and went to open the doors of the room just around the corner of where he was.

"Albert!" Her words flew as the doors did. The captain of her guards and his troops fell silent for a moment, then Albert stuttered, "M-My Queen?"

"I'm angry!" (Y/N) said in a loud voice, but she wasn't shouting. "This is the first time I've skipped morning practice. I knew it was fishy for Byron to give me a drink so early. He did it to put me back to sleep!"

Albert walked closer to her and covered his mouth to giggle. She gently poked his stomach with the hilt of her sword and he drew back.

"I already told you I'm okay. I'm well enough." She sighed. "Nico's not here to spar with me so… Give me five minutes. If I can't hit any part of you in five minutes I'm going give it a rest, okay?"

Seeing the doors were open, Louis let himself inside the Stein troops' training hall. It wasn't surprising of course, that the hall was full of men, but what struck him was how friendly the queen was to her subordinates – not only to Albert who was obviously close to her, but to the simple soldiers as well. Whispers of admiration and loyalty to her and to Stein can be heard across the room.

"Don't you dare go easy on me, Al." (Y/N) drew her sword. "You'll be punished accordingly if you do."

"I intend to give you your rest day, Your Majesty." Albert replied, smiling.

Without a second later, the clash of swords echoed in the room. Despite being not in her top condition, (Y/N) was able to do fairly well. Albert was aware of her prowess and he has never beaten her before. But he promised Byron to keep the queen from exerting physical effort, at least for that day. He thought about how scarier he was than (Y/N), and he had no intention of submitting himself to whatever punishment Byron had prepared for him.

And so, driven by his concern for his queen, and more so of his fear of the royal advisor, Albert stood victorious and (Y/N) accepted her defeat graciously. Heaving as sigh, the untied her hair as she went to the door. When she looked up she noticed Louis was leaning against the wall.

"Oh, Duke Howard." She said in a murmur but he seemed to have heard her. "What are you doing here? I believe you were supposed to go into town today."

"As should you have?" He smirked. "Apparently your advisor duped you, but with good reason."

"You heard that?" The queen was going red of embarrassment.

"I've been watching from the start." Louis let out a slight laugh.

(Y/N) closed her eyes, flicked her hair, and breathed out. "Will you join me for refreshments, then?"

She led him to the drawing room where they waited for Albert to bring them their drinks. He came with a push cart of beverages and a selection of sweets. Of course, he didn't have to ask what the queen wanted, Al readily handed (Y/N) her cup.

Noticing this, Louis asked, "So you like coffee, Your Majesty?"

"She likes it _as hot and as strong as a devil at midnight_."* Albert replied.

After setting the refreshments for them, the knight took his leave and closed the door. They sat in silence, enjoying their share of warm drinks and an occasional exchange of glances. (Y/N) didn't really mind how quiet they were, but she could feel getting conscious for no apparent reason.

"You look livelier today." Louis said, placing his teacup on the table.

"I had a really good sleep." She replied.

The silence ensued again. It was quite longer this time.

"You know," the duke began talking. "It's intriguing how much your people adore you."

"Where did that come from?" (Y/N) raised a brow.

Louis placed his leg on top of the other, had his elbows rest on the armchair, and rested his cheek on his folded fingers. "Observation."

The queen let out a laugh. "What business do you have observing me? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to me."

The blonde duke let out a complacent smile. "Maybe I have."

 _Are you trying to make fun of me?_ She primarily thought. (Y/N) remembered how uninterested he was ever since the beginning, and just yesterday, he started being nice. Louis had witnessed some of her vulnerabilities and she realized how ridiculous the thought might have been for him to see the queen of Stein getting bruised, sick, and duped. _If he really is pulling my leg, then…_

She shot him a glare. "For your own sake, Duke Howard, I hope you're joking."

"Why is that?" Louis returned her stare.

The queen gave out a grin. "I might just take you seriously."

Byron knocked before opening the door to the queen's study. He saw her seriously reading through some documents. Normally, she would take notice and call out to him, but right now she seemed to be so absorbed in her material.

"(Y/N)." He gently called out to her. She lifted her head, her brows knitted together. His index finger lunged in between them. "What are you looking so upset for?"

"Firstly, there was something in the drink you gave me that I missed my morning session." She leaned back in her chair. Her royal advisor just replied with a smile.

"Secondly, Albert had beaten me in a five-minute standoff."

"Oh, did he now?" Byron sounded pleased.

"And…" (Y/N) paused, her seriousness in her face melted away against a blank expression, and she recalled what happened with Louis that morning.

 _"_ _It would be unreasonable to go through such lengths, Your Majesty." Louis countered. "Just as I told you last night, I have a great deal of respect for you. Let's leave it at that."_

 _The queen lowered her gaze, feeling a little dejected at his words. It wasn't because he told her that, but because somehow she felt guilty for thinking he was only playing around with her. All this time, he's been talking to her seriously. (Y/N) sighed and threw herself against her chair._

"And?"

"Oh– " She jolted and sat upright again and thought of changing the subject to avoid being question further. "How was your date, Byron?"

"I merely escorted the princess." He looked at her. "It was hardly a date."

Leo caught sight of Louis in the library. He smirked as he remembered the mischievous thing he did to him. Before dawn, he went out of his guest chambers and bumped into Byron who had an empty cup in his hand. Stein's royal advisor explained that the queen will be resting for the morning and that he will accompany them to town alone. That's when he came up with an idea in his mind.

"Fancy meeting you here, Louis." Leo said as he pulled the chair and sat down in front of the duke. Louis lifted his head up to acknowledge the bureaucrat's presence and went back to reading.

"Byron showed us around town today. Ahh… How I wish the queen went too. But he said she was still resting. I felt rather lonely." Leo cupped his chin as he continued to gaze at Louis. "The queen's pretty amazing, isn't she? Running this kingdom alone is a lot of work, but she keeps on exceeding what's expected of her."

The blonde duke continued to ignore his remarks, clearly looking uninterested. Leo let out a grin as he continued, "I've heard her council members are starting to demand that she get married."

Louis finally sighed, placing a hand on the page he was reading. "That's not something Wysteria needs to be concerned of."

"You think so?"

"She can marry who she chooses. The only thing we need to look out for is maintaining Stein and Wysteria's diplomatic relations, nothing more."

The closed-door meeting resumed after lunch and all parties involved were exchanging blows of propositions, drafted bills, and whatnot. It was a gruesome process, but both delegates handled it with utmost diligence.

"There is one more matter that we need to discuss, Your Majesty." A senior bureaucrat raised his hand. "It's a matter concerning only Stein so may I request the Wysterian delegates to retire at this point."

The Princess Elect nodded, and said, "Very well, then."

Byron nudged his index finger on his chin for a few seconds. "Wait a moment, what is this about?"

The queen noticed her advisor's uneasiness and looked at the bureaucrat before speaking, "The matter that you're saying might not involve our neighbors, but every bit of action we'll be taking from this point might affected them directly or indirectly. It would be best for them to hear it as well."

"I suppose." The man didn't argue back. "Very well, majority of your council would like to discuss the future of Stein."

"The future of Stein?" (Y/N) narrowed her eyes.

"To put it bluntly, Your Majesty," another man voiced out. "We have no doubts that you can continue handling Stein's affairs as a sole ruler, however, a throne without an heir could cause instability in the future."

There were murmurs across the hall. The Wysterian delegates were quiet but the Princess elect looked concerned. She looked at Byron who was still looking at his queen. He was rather disturbed that she appeared to be calm. Normally, when matters of marriage were brought up, she'd have a visible expression of displeasure.

"We also believe that finding a suitable king will not be a tedious task. The council suggests that Her Majesty consider Sir Byron for the position."

Hearing this, the Princess of Wysteria silently gasped, clasping her hands together over her chest.

"Thank you for the concern, My Lords." The queen spoke. "I understand that it should be done to ensure the future of Stein. However, I have no intention of acting half-heartedly on this matter."

"Your Majesty…" The man murmured.

"I may be a formidable ruler in your eyes." (Y/N) continued with conviction in her voice. "But I'm still not ready. And so I would like to ask for the council's office to give me a little more time."

"But Your Majesty, it's not a question of preparedness, but rather, of responsibility."

"I can't take on a responsibility unless I'm prepared for it." She narrowed her eyes now.

The discussion continued on for a while, but in the end, the council gave the queen what she wanted.

"I take it by your reactions that you've actually considered it." Byron stood across from her. "I've never seen you respond like that."

(Y/N) weakly smiled. She managed to dodge the matters of matrimony but she knew she couldn't hold it out like this for too long. She had never thought of getting married, really, but she knew one day she'd have to – for Stein. Also, Byron has dismissed any conversations about him and the princess, but if he decided to go, she knew she needed someone to stand by her side.

"What do you think, Byron? Shall I hold a competition for men to fight for my hand? That would be bloody interesting. Whoever manages to lay a finger on me wins."

"I have never heard of anything more ridiculous coming from you." The advisor sighed. "Clearly it might take you a while to find a king. You're hardly interested in men."

"I'm a woman, Byron." She scoffed. "Surely I'm interested in men."

"Are you saying you're interested in someone right now?"

The queen cupped her chin, thinking of Byron's words.

As (Y/N) turned the knob on her door, she caught sight of Louis striding from the corner. She stared at his figure for a moment and playfully said, "Were you planning to visit my chambers, Duke Howard?" She opened the door fully. Louis casted his gaze downwards.

"I was going to retire for the night. The trip back to Wysteria tomorrow comes with great distance." He simply replied. "Good Night, Your Majesty."

"You surely won't indulge me?" (Y/N) coquettishly smiled.

"I surely have no reason to."

The queen frowned at his response. "Don't be like that. At one point you're so nice and then so cold the next."

Louis remind silent but he kept his gaze on her Majesty.

"How about tea before sleeping then? I had the servants bring a fresh brew." She turned around and left him by the door. "Lemon balm will help you rest better."

Thinking it was rude to decline, the blonde duke followed the queen to her balcony. They both sat under the moonlight, with cups warming their hands against the cold breeze of the night. The queen glanced at Louis, half of his face hidden in the shadows. It was laughable. She had only talked to him for two days, and she somehow believes she's seen different side of him. She saw how warm his smile was, and how thoughtful he can be.

Louis sat his teacup on the table. "You're a strong woman, Queen (Y/N)."

The queen was surprised for a moment, but she quickly replied. "I was born to be strong."

His silence prompted her to continue.

"As a part the royal family, I was expected to carry on a legacy from the day I was born." She softly traced the cup's brim with her finger. "A youngling with no knowledge of her world, whatsoever, suddenly bears this responsibility on her shoulders, even before she could learn how to walk. I felt like I grew up being molded to what Stein needed me to be."

"That's a rather interesting point of view."

The queen smiled, looking straight at him, "But now I believe I'm blessed and fortunate. I feel like I'm able to live a life with a greater purpose. I love what I do and being the queen makes me happy."

Louis saw the satisfaction on her face and he couldn't help but lower his gaze to avoid it.

"What about you, Duke Howard? I've heard nothing but praises for the way you oversee your duchy."

Louis stared up at the sky, it was full of stars but all he could see was darkness. "It's rather late, isn't it? I believe I should go."

He stood up and looked at her one last time. "Good night, Your Majesty." The duke retreated back to her room and closed the door soon after, leaving the queen to wonder if she had said something wrong. But somnolence crept into her as well and, she went to bed.

The next morning, Byron, Albert, and (Y/N) stood by the Wysterian Royal carriage. They said their thanks and good byes and proceeded to board.

"Thank you very much for the hospitality, Your Majesty." Giles held the queen's hand and kissed it. Leo did as well. Louis then went closer and caught her fingers. He didn't say anything, and just placed his lips gently on them. The queen felt the warmth of his hands even after he let her go.

The coachman gripped on the reins and the horses started galloping. (Y/N) watched her visitors go into the distance. Just before they could close the main door, they heard someone running towards them. All of them turned around and saw Nico's smiling face. "I'm home, My Queen."


End file.
